Find Your Back Road in Wilkes County, North Carolina: Experience the hills without the hassle in our wide-open spaces.

You’ve left work, home, and the hubbub behind. With the city in your rearview mirror, the open road awaits. The miles tick by, revealing more trees than traffic, big skies and small towns. Crossing into Wilkes County, the hills, valleys, and rivers roll out in a seemingly endless panorama. You exhale and think, “This really is God’s country.” It’s an apt description for a landscape so richly blessed.

 

Carrie Hamilton, a fifth-generation resident, didn’t fully appreciate her homeplace until she left. “I’ve lived in Atlanta, New York City, and France. I've traveled to Indonesia and Bali, and I've seen the most beautiful areas of western Europe, but when I see those mountains, I'm struck by their beauty." 

 

Situated on the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Wilkes is the gateway to North Carolina’s High Country. It’s a diverse landscape of rolling hills, rugged mountains, lush valleys, and boulder-strewn rivers. Horses and cattle graze among its weathered barns and fertile farmland. For all of this bucolic beauty, Wilkes is conveniently connected via U.S. Highway 421 and Interstate Highway 77, one hour from Boone and 1.5 hours from Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

 

Room to Roam

Vacation planning once begged the question: “What is there to do?” With the challenges of the last two years, travelers now ask: “What’s not there?” Viewed through the lens of the pandemic, “It’s amazing how quickly the luxuries of the city fall away, and the resiliency of a rural area remains,” says LB Prevette, whose family roots here date back to 1730.

 

Prevette knows what makes a place special often has more to do with what’s missing. With 757 miles of wide-open spaces and less than 70,000 residents, you’ll find plenty of room to roam in Wilkes. You won’t find the rush and crush of crowds.

 

 

A Mountain Getaway

Life here marches to a slower beat than in some High Country tourist towns. By slowing down, you experience the many moods of the mountains. On cloudy mornings, these brooding beauties hide behind veils of fog. By afternoon, they bask in brilliant sunshine as cumulus clouds paint chiaroscuro patterns across their peaks and ridges. Driving the “S” curves and dipping into the hollows along Elk Creek Road, you might need your headlights. Emerging again into sunlight, you’re greeted with golden fields of corn.

 

You can’t always rely on GPS, so keep your gas tank full and a map at hand. And ask locals for their favorite back road adventure. In this “Please and thank you” community, you’ll get plenty of ideas. “There’s an air of welcoming here,” says LB Prevette.

 

Get maps, travel literature and directions at the Northwest North Carolina Visitor Center, 2121 US-421.

 

Enchanted Evenings

Road trips require lodging . . . to reach  Leatherwood Mountains Resort, you travel through some of the most scenic areas of the Appalachian Mountains. The resort’s fully equipped mountain homes nestle among thousands of acres of forests and high ridges. Perched on the porch of your backcountry retreat, you might hear a pileated woodpecker’s primeval call or leaves landing softly on the ground.

 

Come nightfall, a hush falls over the hillsides. Unfettered by city lights, the drama of a star-studded sky emerges.

 

The Great Outdoors

West of Wilkesboro, Highway 268 follows the southern shoreline of W. Kerr Scott Lake. With 56 miles of shoreline, three campgrounds and 30 miles of trails, it’s ideal for camping, fishing, birding, boating, hiking, and biking.

 

Speaking of water, you can’t travel far without crossing the Yadkin, Reddies, or Roaring Rivers. Get the gear you need to enjoy a day on the water at Foothills Outdoor Adventures or Roaring River Canoe Rentals. Need a break from driving? Walk, jog or rent a bike from Cook’s Outfitters and explore Yadkin River Greenway. The paved 9.3 mile trail connects Wilkesboro and North Wilkesboro’s historic and scenic highlights.

 

The View from Here

Looking for a place to pull over and take in the view? These sites are worth your while:

 

W. Kerr Scott Dam and Reservoir: Check out Mountain View Overlook, Blood Creek Overlook, Keowee Park, Fish Dam Creek Park, and Fort Hamby Campground and Park for breathtaking vistas of this 500-acre lake.

 

Moravian Falls: Tucked into a hillside on Falls Road between Highways 16 and 18, Moravian Falls is nothing short of magical. Some believe this spot has healing powers, thanks to early Moravian settlers and their tradition of 24-hour prayer.

 

Vineyard Views: East of Wilkesboro, stunning views at  Raffaldini Vineyards and Piccione Vineyards will make you think you’re in Europe.

 

Blue Ridge Parkway: Traveling northwest just over the county line to Wildcat Rock Trail or Ice Rock Falls, you’re rewarded with spectacular views of Wilkes County.

 

Tomkins Knob: At an elevation of 4,075 feet, Wilkes’ highest point offers a half mile hiking trail. The trail leads to a reconstructed 19^th century cabin that sheltered preachers traveling between remote mountain settlements.

 

Whippoorwill Academy and Village. This site off Highway 268 in Ferguson is steeped in 300 years of history. Even if you don’t tour the rustic cabins or stay in the Airbnb, you’ll enjoy a lovely view of surrounding farmlands. The Village is open the third Saturday of each month.

 

Small Town Soul

It’s hard to leave the back roads behind, but don’t miss the charms of our walkable, historic downtowns. Tuck into a café, listen to live music, or stroll through art galleries, museums, and antique shops.

 

Travelers and locals benefit from the county’s multimillion dollar investment in downtown Wilkesboro. May through August, Heritage Square buzzes with concerts and “Movies on Main” in the Carolina West Wireless Community Commons Park. The public Wi-Fi area offers benches, tables, and free parking. It’s all within steps of Yadkin River Greenway, Wilkes Heritage Museum, Cook’s Outfitters, shops, cafés, and Two Boros Brewery. “Our goal is to be a little Asheville with better parking,” says LB Prevette.

 

North Wilkesboro has its own highlights for the culturally inclined, including Wilkes Art Gallery, Taupe Gallery, and Talia Espresso, a Euro-style coffee shop, café, and exhibit space. For local crafts and a dose of Americana, visit Wilkes County Hardware, a community fixture since the 1940s.

 

An evening stroll through quaint Elkin promises live regional music and farm-to-table fare at historic Reeves Theater. Or sample a brew and wood-fired pizza at Angry Troll Brewery before indulging in some wistful window shopping at Elkin boutiques.

 

The best part of finding your back road? Discovering what’s around the next bend. In Wilkes County, that might be world-class mountain biking trails, a serene lake, small towns worthy of Rockwell, or breathtaking vistas of the ancient Appalachians. Each mile leads to more memories. To paraphrase Robert Frost, when you take the road less traveled, it makes all the difference.

 

By Nancy Moreland